The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1887-09-15
A CIRCUS GREEN ROOM.
TENT LIFE AS 1T EXISTS BEHIND
THE RED CURTAIN.

trunks, dressing, 0re cosmopolitan lou.
Native Americans, Yankees, wild westerners,
fMexicans, Indian half breeds, Germans, West
Indians, South Americans, English, Scotch,
Irish, and representatives from all the nations
Of continental Europe, excepting only Russia
and Turkey. How they manage to live
together in peace and harmony is more than
one can quite understand, but quarrels are
rare among them. They are great boosters,
however, these circus performers, and often
engage in friendly contests of skill or strength
to back up their pretensions, and even as we
look a veteran of the ring is showing his com
panions how he used to balance himself while
standing on his head in midair Many OF
these men are all round performers. Athletes
while young, advancing years and failing
strength of suppleness have compelled them
10 cut out their work according to their
physical ability. Thus they take up
Dne thing after another, pertinaciously
sticking TO the business, and willing to
be dog trainers at SIS a week if they
cannot tumble at $50, ride a pad at 500
Or do the bareback at $500 to $780, Circus
performers are essentially itinerants Not
only are they continual travelling from one
city to another, but they visit nearly all the
countries of the earth. After performer has
made the rounds of America for two or three
seasons be finds it advantageous to make
trip to Europe, thus avoiding what is termed
wearing OUT with the circus going public.
Three out of four of these men can speak
four languages, and some of them twice that
number The general "a is that circusper-
formers are dissolute lot. But this is mis-
take Canvasmen and bill posters may be
be addicted to the use Of red eye and inclined
TO engage in free fights with country toughs
or with themselves, but the performers are
quite different They look down upon the
boilers and helpers as actors look upon stage
hands, and associate but little with them.
The incessant demands OF his profession upon
bis time and strength are so great that the
average performer finds dissipation well nigh
impossible Perhaps majority of the ARTISTS"
save money each season, and many OF them
are men of family, ownir G houses in their
native country
Notwithstanding the better opportunity for
rest and sleep afforded by railway trans
portation, show life is anything but play, as
is Quickly discovered by the silly boys who
run away from home to follow the circus"
Even the performers, excepting only very
few, are required to play many parts in the
circus day, appearing five or six times in the
ring during an afternoon, and an equal num-
Der of times, Of course, during the evening.
This means ten or dozen changes of costume,
these changes to be made in hurry, and
often while standing upon wet, cold ground,
with a rainstorTl beating upon the tent over
head, and the temperature as chilling as a
lakeshore May day.
There is a ladies' dressing room, too-a
smaller tent wherein score of women, parade
riders and performers, gather to prepare
themselves for the publ, eye. OF course no
masculine feet are allowed to enter these
sacred precints, but press agent Day seizes
the opportunity to impress upon his listeners
mind the fact that all circus women are
ladies, and that they are at all times carefully
protected from insults, Just as soon as a
lady performer begins to develop. in her
speciality her services become valuable to
somebody, and that somebody sees that she is
taken care of. Contrary to the general i'm
preston, almost impregnable safeguards are
thrown about the persons of women who earn
their livelihood in circuses, differing widely
in this respect from the conditions met with
on the stage"
just without the dressing room, and near
the curtain through which the performers
make their entrances and exits, is a tented
ante room. Here the performers gather in
groups TO await their call Here the trained
horses are brought to be caparisoned for their
appearance before the multitude A lady in
pink tights and spangles and with pint of
paint on her face picks her way dainty over
the turf to the entrance and stands beside the
aorse she is soon to ride, leisurely reading a
fashion paper. Another pauses for moment
10 hush her babes cries by coddling the wee
thing in its mothers bosom. Near by sits the
placid and spectacled wardrobe woman, sew
ing away at a rent garment, unmindful of the
restless horses tramping near her and seeming
not to hear the screams and shouts and shots
Of the mimic Indian bi jle going on in the
larger tent. She and about her become
interested when the wort passes that one of
Clusters men has been Shot in the eye by
Sioux brave and the m ober badly burned.
These Indians are cage watched by those
who have to perform 18th them. The red
man is inclined to be too realistic in his circus
work, becoming much excited and altogether
too earnest.
"BlaSt them Indians, says young country
boy who does duty as on. of Clusters soldiers;
"they pear to think ( eyre actually in a
fight, and they want to i'll somebody in dead
eaTneSU. - 10Y are lcuiAullJ dkIdIu IuSy IL
load their guns with balls sometimes and do
us up"
Press Agent Day volunteers the explana-
tion that large majority of the employees of
circus are genuine horse lovers. "They are
largely boys who were brought up on FARMS"
he says, "where they learned to love
horses It beats all the number of
opportunities we have to hire young
fellows in the country. suppose a
hundred day is about the number who
offer their services TO us at any compensa-
ton NE see fit to pay. Nine out Of ten of
them are lovers of horses. The horses in
circus like this, and we have $50, are all well
treated. The hostlers can't do too much for
them, and even the driver Of the commonest
wagon team is ready to fight for his horses if
any one speaks i'll Of them. You would be
much amused to hear lot Of these drivers
boasting of the accomplishments of their
Steeds. They are worse than the performers"
these young ladies who ride in the pro-
cession, do they get pretty good pays"
"Yes, better than ballet girls The fact is,
there are very few girls who can ride well
enough to suit us. A good horsewoman is not
sufficient, she must have unlimited courage
and good deal of muscle, for the dangers of
street parading are great. Runaways often
occur, and horses are likely to become excita-
ble and stampedy. Women equal to these
emergencies are not easily found. Chicago
Herald.
Charity Matinees."
hear that a certain pretty and popular
anf fs e,tr